Hora of Moldova (Volume 1)

Chapter 12

As the class was joking and hiking back down off the cliff, the group lingered ever so slightly behind. Alina was recounting a story from earlier, her voice blending with the soft hum of the wind when suddenly, a deep, guttural roar echoed from somewhere below them. The sound was so unexpected that it froze everyone in place.

"What was that?" Alina asked, eyes wide with sudden alertness.

Before anyone could respond, the ground beneath them began to tremble violently, sending rocks and dust tumbling down the cliffside. The path they had been walking on began to crumble, its edges breaking away piece by piece.

“Watch out!” Dan shouted, but it was too late.

With a startled yelp, Bianca lost her footing, slipping toward the edge as the ground gave way beneath her. Dan reacted immediately, diving to grab her arm, but the sudden shift in weight pulled him off balance. He instinctively reached for Sofia, who had been standing nearby. Sofia managed to catch Dan, but the force dragged her down, too. Marius lunged, grabbing her wrist just in time, but the momentum was too strong. The entire group tumbled down together, a chaotic chain of grasping hands and slipping feet. Alina, who had been a few steps behind, was the last to grab onto Marius, trying to stop their fall, but the ground beneath her crumbled, and they all plunged downward.

The fall seemed to last forever, the roar of rushing air and crumbling rock deafening in their ears. They fell into darkness, tumbling through layers of earth and stone until, with a bone-rattling thud, they hit the ground. The cave swallowed them up, the roar of the collapse fading into an eerie silence.

For a moment, everything was still. Dust settled in the air, and the only sound was the faint echo of distant rocks falling from above. Sofia, the first to recover, pushed herself up with a groan, her body sore but intact. She blinked through the dim light, her breath coming out in short, uneven bursts.

“Is everyone okay?” Sofia asked, her voice echoing slightly in the cavernous space.

There was a series of muffled groans as her friends stirred. Bianca, who was nearest to her, groaned softly but nodded, her hand pressed against her head. 

"I think so... just a few bruises."

Dan sat up next, dusting off his pants and giving a shaky laugh. 

“Ugh… I think I’m in one piece,”

He turned toward Bianca, his face still pale from the shock. 

"You good? That was a close one."

Bianca managed a small smile, though she was still clearly rattled. 

"Yeah, thanks. For trying to catch me, I mean."

"Hey, I tried," Dan joked, though the humor didn’t quite reach his eyes. He gave Sofia a quick glance, checking her over as well.

 “Yeah, I’m good,” Alina added, brushing dirt from her hair. “Though I could’ve done without the human avalanche.”

Sofia glanced over at Marius, who was still lying on his back, unmoving. Her heart skipped a beat as she scrambled over to him. 

“Marius?” she whispered, gently shaking him.

For a tense few moments, he didn’t respond. Then, with a groan, Marius’ eyes fluttered open. He blinked, his gaze unfocused at first, but then he smiled faintly. Sofia let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, her shoulders sagging in relief. 

As the group helped each other to their feet, they took in their surroundings for the first time. The cave was massive, its stone walls smooth and ancient, as if shaped by the passage of time.